1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a module connector to which a module such as a camera module with a solid state image sensor is connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-67443, a connector that connects with a module, which is an electronic component such as a camera module, has a spring hook that projects toward the interior of the container, which accommodates the module, to prevent the module in the container from falling.
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a conventional connector. FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a connector, illustrating the configuration of the conventional connector and a module mounted in the connector. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the module is attached to the connector shown in FIG. 1.
Connector 10 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 attaches built-in module 20 to the equipment.
First, module 20 attached to this connector 10 will be described. Module 20 is a camera module mounted in, for example, mobile telephones, and has lens part 24 above module body 23 which is approximately a quadrilateral and has substrate 21 in the bottom face. Further, near corner parts in module body 23, engaging parts 22 are formed by making a notch that continues from the middle to the upper face of module body 23. Further, substrate 21 has a plurality of contact pads (not shown) connected with the contact segments of connector 10.
Connector 10 has housing 12 that opens upward and that has container 11 which builds in module 20, contact segments (not shown) that electrically connect with contact pads of substrate 21 inside container 11 and spring hooks 13 that engage with engaging parts 22 of module 20.
Spring hooks 13 are flexible and extend toward container 11 from shield cases 14 covering the outer peripheral surfaces of housing 12, engage with engaging parts 22 of the module to be accommodated in container 11 at the tips of free tip parts 13a and thereby prevent the module from falling.
Spring hooks 13 are each placed to incline from the top end part of shield case 14 toward the center of bottom face 10a of container 11 through inside housing 12, and free tip parts 13a are each positioned inside the container.
By building module 20 in container 11 by pressing down module 20 from above connector 10 into container 11, spring hooks 13 are elastically deformed by the downward press by the bottom face of module 20 and escape outward.
Then, when module 20 is inserted to a predetermined position inside container 11, free tip parts 13a of spring hooks 13 are restored to the original state, maintaining the contact pads of the substrate in contact with the contact segments and engage with engaging faces 22a of engaging parts 22, that is, the upper face of module 20 (see FIG. 2). By this means, spring hooks 13 prevent module 20 attached to connector 10 from falling.
Further, when the camera module is removed, free tip parts 13a of spring hooks 13 slide pressing against the side faces of the camera module moving in the removing direction off the lock positions with engaging parts 22.
To prevent deformation of spring hooks 13 itself due to this slide and secure the restoring force of free tip parts 13a, spring hooks 13 are configured to have deforming parts of a predetermined length L from the top end of shield cases 14 to free tip parts 13a. 
Recently, electronic devices such as mobile telephones in which modules such as camera modules are mounted, are miniaturized, and, accompanying this, making module connectors itself in lower profile used in mounting in the module is desired.
However, according to the configuration of a conventional module connector, to prevent deformation of spring hooks 13 when the module is removed and secure the restoring force of free tip parts 13a, the length L of deforming parts between the top ends of shield cases 14 and free tip part 13a need to be secured.
For this reason, the side wall parts surrounding container 11 require a height L2 so that the length L of the deforming parts extending from the top end of the side wall parts toward bottom face 10a of container 11 is secured, and it was difficult to make module connectors in lower profile.